Barrel for use in surface treatment of metal

ABSTRACT

A barrel for use in surface treatment of metal, having an opening through which material to be treated is put in and treated material is taken out automatically, said opening being provided with a door which turns on hinges fitted to one of the longitudinal edges of the opening. This barrel is so designed that its door opens inwardly but closes outwardly while it is rotating, whereby necessary treatment is effected while the barrel is turning in the normal direction and treated material is taken out automatically if the barrel is turned in the reverse

United States Patent Kanazu [451 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] BARREL FOR USE IN SURFACE TREATMENT OF METAL [72] Inventor: Siro Kanazu, 43 of No. l, Meirakucho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan [22] Filed: May 21, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 39,393

[30 Foreign Application Priority Data July 3, 1969 Japan ..44/52877 [52] US. Cl ..259/81 R, 204/213 [51] Int. Cl. ..B01f 9/02 [58] Field of Search ..259/89, 81 R, 90, 30, 14, 3;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,956,943 10/1960 Hoegh ..259/89 I Gill ..259/81 R Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins Att0rneyWenderoth, Lind & Ponack ABSTRACT A barrel for use in surface treatment of metal, having an opening through which material to be treated is put in and treated material is taken out automatically, said opening being provided with a door which turns on hinges fitted to one of the longitudinal edges of the opening. This barrel is so designed that its door opens inwardly but closes outwardly while it is rotating, whereby necessary treatment is effected while the barrel is turning in the normal direction and treated material is taken out automatically if the barrel is turned in the reverse direction 3Claims,l0DrawingFigures Neilson ..259/89 I skinner;

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57/80 KAN/J20" BARREL FOR USE IN SURFACE TREATMENT OF METAL This invention relates to a barrel for use in surface treatment of metal, such as plating, cleansing, etc., having a door which is so designed that it opens automatically only when it comes upwards while the barrel is turning in the normal direction (FIG. 4A, B, C), but if the barrel is turned in the reverse direction, the door opens automatically when it comes upwards and downwards and thus treated material drops automatically from the barrel (FIG. 4D, E, F).

In the barrel of a conventional type, it has been general practice that when putting material to be treated in the barrel for treatment, a sealing door is first opened, material to be treated is put in, the sealing door is closed and is locked up with screws or the like. Moreover, after the required treatment is finished, the aforementioned screws or the like are loosened, the sealing door is opened and treated material is taken out of the barrel. Under this method, however, whenever material to be treated is put in the barrel and treated material is taken out of the barrel, the barrel must be taken out of treating liquor while a treating machine is kept standing. Thus, this method is inefficient and continuous operation cannot be expected from it.

This invention has for an object to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, more specifically, a

barrel according to the present invention has an opening, through which material to be treated is put in and treated material is taken out, and is rotatably supported in a treating tank filled with a treating liquor. In order to close or open this opening automatically, a door is fitted, with hinges, to one of the longitudinal edges of the opening and a free end portion of the door is adapted to overlap the other longitudinal edge of the opening. According to the normal and the reverse rotations of the barrel, the door swings by its own weight within the barrel either to open or close the opening automatically, whereby filling of material to be treated and taking out of treated material can be effected automatically.

The nature and advantages of the present invention will be understood more clearly from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gate-type carrier, using barrels in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a barrel in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side viewof the barrel, taken on the section line 3 3 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the barrel body of FIG. 3, taken on the section line 4 4, in which A, B and C showing the behavior of the door while the plating is in process and D, E and F showing the behavior of the door when treated material is taken out of the barrel.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how an endless chain is laid.

In FIG. 1 of the drawing, T1, T2, T3, T4 Tn are treat-tanks in the required shape, arranged in alignment and filled with various treating liquors. In each of these treating-tanks T1, T2, T3, T4 Tn, a barrel 1 is hung and soaked. Each barrel is lifted up after the required treatment is finished for shifting to the succeeding tank respectively for further treatment and thus all the required treating processes are carried out continuously. This barrel itself may be made in a hexagonal shape as indicated by FIG. 2 or in other polygonal shapes, with side panel boards. Each side wall of the barrel has many small perforations and one of the sides is made an opening 10, to which a door 9 is fixed with hinges. This door 9 is fitted swingably, with hinges, to one of the longitudinal edges 10a of the opening 10 or to one of the edges in parallel with the rotative axial line of the barrel. This door 9 is so designed as to swing only within the barrel itself, namely, if the door swings outwardly, a free edge 9a of the door 9 hits upon the edge 10a of the opening of the barrel. In other words, the edge 10a works as if it were a stopper and keeps the door from swinging out of the barrel. Preferably, the free edge 9a of the door is tapered so that the tapered surface may press the edge 10a of the opening. If the tapered surface is not used, an extra margin is made at the edge to prevent the door from going out of the barrel. In order to effect automatic opening and closing smoothly, a weight 96 may be built in the door or the door may be fitted with a spring.

The shifting of barrels in suspended state is carried out by using a conventional gate type carrier as shown by FIG. 1 or by adopting an ordinary suspension system. After a barrel is soaked in a treating tank and the required treatment is finished, the barrel is .lifted and shifted to a succeeding tank. While a treating process is under way, the whole weight of the barrel is supported by supporting rods 3, 3. Electrode rods 2 2. which transmit electric current into the barrel are provided protrudingly at said supporting rods 3, between which the barrel is rotatably supported. A gear 4 provided at the outer surface of the side panel board la of the barrel, is engaged with a gear 6 provided at one end of a driving shaft 5. At the other end of this driving shaft 5 is provided a sprocket wheel 7, which is made to engage with a chain 8, etc. mounted on the side frame of the plating device. By means of reciprocation of this chain 8, the sprocket 7 engaging with the chain 8 is caused to turn in the normal direction and accordingly the barrel is rotated. When a barrel is turning in the normal direction in each treating tank, the door of the barrel opens only when the opening of the barrel comes upward as indicated by A, B, and C in FIG. 4

and material to be treated in the barrel is kept from falling (material to be treated is put in the barrel in the state of A), and when the opening changes its position the door is closed by means of the weight of door itself (centrifugal force may be worked according to the r.p.m. of the barrel) as indicated by B, C in FIG. 4. Thus, the required treatment is effected, without falling of material to be treated, for each barrel in respective treating-tank. After completion of various treatments, the barrel itself is lifted up to take the sprocket wheel of the barrel off the chain 8 running continuously only in one direction and is placed on a tank provided next to the last treating tank Tn. Then, the sprocket wheel 7 is engaged with another chain (not shown in the drawing) which runs in the direction contrary to the chain 8 so as to rotate the barrel in the reverse direction as indicated by D, E and F in FIG. 4. In this instance, when the opening of the barrel comes downwards, the door is opened as illustrated due to centrifugal force and the weight of the door itself. Accordingly, treated material falls or is discharged from the barrel automatically. A chute can be provided in the treating tank, where necessary. Discharge of treated material is efiected by rotating the barrel in the reverse direction continuously or by stopping the rotation of the barrel when the door comes downwards and opens.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, a barrel of hexagonal section or other polygonal section is provided with an automatic door at one of its longitudinal edges. However, it is possible to provide such a polygonal barrel with two or more doors of the abovementioned type as to effect putting in or taking out of material more promptly. In this instance, it is so designed that while the barrel is rotating in the normal direction, any door is closed whenever it comes downwards to avoid material in the barrel from falling into the treating liquor tank.

According to the present invention, the door is opened or closed automatically by means of centrifugal force according to the normal or the reverse rotation of the barrel and the weight of the door itself. Accordingly, there is no need of stopping the rotation of the barrel to open and close the door. Moreover, after the required treatment is finished, the door is opened automatically to drop treated material, thus making it easy to take out treated material and making it possible to carry out continuous operation, without lifting up the barrel from treating liquor and without stopping the working of the barrel or the whole machine.

What I claim is:

l. A rotatable barrel for use in the surface treatment of metal; said barrel comprising a pair of end walls; a plurality of perforate side walls connected to said end walls to form a cross-sectional polygonal shape, one of said said walls forming a door; hinges mounting said door to open inwardly along the longitudinal direction of said barrel; and means to prevent said door from opening outwardly of said barrel; whereby when said barrel is rotated in a first direction ,said door is closed when positioned downwardly, and when said barrel is rotated in a second direction said door is opened when positioned downwardly.

2. A barrel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a weight connected to said door.

3. A barrel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for preventing said door from opening outwardly comprises an edge longitudinally mounted to be engaged by said door when moved outwardly. 

1. A rotatable barrel for use in the surface treatment of metal; said barrel comprising a pair of end walls; a plurality of perforate side walls connected to said end walls to form a crosssectional polygonal shape, one of said side walls forming a door; hinges mounting said door to open inwardly along the longitudinal direction of said barrel; and means to prevent said door from opening outwardly of said barrel; whereby when said barrel is rotated in a first direction said door is closed when positioned downwardly, and when said barrel is rotated in a second direction said door is opened when positioned downwardly.
 2. A barrel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a weight connected to said door.
 3. A barrel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for preventing said door from opening outwardly comprises an edge longitudinally mounted to be engaged by said door when moved outwardly. 